2020, yikes, it has been a year of lockdowns, business closures and job losses. No travel out of the country, social distancing and mask wearing, and worse yet, those who are in hospital and those who have lost their lives. As we begin 2021, we want to have a path forward and that may be different for each and every one of us.

Garrett, older and lives alone in a condo worries about what happens if he is around someone who is ill. Tami worries about making ends meet because her job in the service field means she gets only about a quarter of her income that she is used to and it impacts on how she can pay her bills. Kari is one of those doing well in the industry she is in and yet worries because she is expecting and fears the impact of catching COVID on her unborn child.

Worry, fear and uncertainty cause us to be anxious and that can lead to a variety of challenges. The main problem with anxiety is it’s often a distortion of the real world. Anxiety can cause us to not see a situation clearly, and can trick your mind into thinking the problem you’re facing is much bigger than its actual size.

And this is where the illusion starts: when you overthink a problem, it’s easy to assume you’re getting closer to a solution. Except, the opposite is happening! Instead of over-analyzing the problem into an imagined catastrophe, it’s good to sometimes take a step back, refresh your mind, and come back to the issue when you’re emotionally more level.

This is why temporarily realigning your focus to other things is very important. Rather than spend our time with these concerns, it may be better to start this new year with a focus on something different. Here are a few ideas:

• Focus on how you can help others who are unemployed, feeling isolated and perhaps not able to get out to get necessities
• Focus on how you can find something to smile about each day
• Focus on connecting with at least 1 friend and 1 co-worker or former co-worker daily

Each of us is responsible for ourselves and hopefully for others because that makes the world a better place, and heaven knows, right now, with these challenging times. We do know that helping others allows us to step away from focusing on ourselves and our own worries.

Yet, at the same time, if we don’t keep ourselves moving forward, we cannot help others. It’s a bit of a conundrum, I know, and that’s why you may find these ideas helpful:

• Decide now on what 3 goals you want to accomplish in 2021
• Decide what projects will help you achieve the results you want
• Choose what step(s) you will work on each week towards these goals

These ideas may help you find things to focus on that will allow you to keep positive and have fewer worries about the world around you. And, if you are one of those finding it hard to pay bills, put food on the table or look after your medical needs focusing on something other than the negatives my lessen the concerns.

Stay safe, stay healthy and use your time to focus on how you can make 2021 a better year for yourself and those around you.

Sherry’s CORNER

COVID is still galloping ahead! Yet, if we are cautious, caring about those around us and aware of our actions we may just come out of this without the tragedy of 1918-1920 where Saskatchewan lost 5000 people.

It is interesting to see people in the grocery stores, the drug stores, restaurants and even on the streets, wearing masks to hopefully save anyone around them from getting COVID. These are the ones who put the possible safety of others ahead of themselves.

What are you seeing? Are you seeing people being helpful, kind and doing what they can to keep others safe? Here at Dimension 11 we are looking forward to your stories because we are all in this together and we want to know how others are helping others.

Please email me at sherry@dimension11.com.